After years of fighting against this measure with our allies, in 2014 the Florida legislature passed the controversial "anti-Shariah" legislation. In 2016, the Florida legislature almost unanimously passed a measure that creates a public blacklist of businesses that support the Palestinian human rights campaign to boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) Israel for its human rights abuses against occupied Palestinians; a troubling attack on the free speech rights of all Floridians. And for years, members of the Florida legislature have openly attend functions with Islamophobic groups and leaders in Tallahassee during legislative session.

CAIR-Florida's analysis has found that, in the past 3 years, over 60% of the Florida legislature has voted in support of Islamophobic legislation and over 90% of the legislature supported the 2016 anti-BDS blacklist measure.

This alliance to an Islamophobic agenda by our elected representatives has contributed to a concerning climate for Muslims Americans in Florida. Over the past year, we have seen "Muslim-free" businesses, armed anti-Islam rallies, and a 500% increase in hate incidents targeting Muslim Americans in Florida alone.

But, because of your support and growing engagement with state legislators, CAIR-Florida has also successfully prevented Islamophobic bills from passing.

In 2015, we stopped a bill that would have required children in Florida public schools to watch a right-wing documentary titled "America: Imagine the World Without Her." The film makes historically and academically inaccurate statements about American history, especially regarding Native Americans, slavery, Mexican territory, and Islamic principles.

In 2016, we prevented an Islamophobic and unconstitutional bill that specifically targeted refugees from Muslim majority countries and sought to grant the Governor of Florida the right to deport refugees that the state deemed a "restricted person."

We are proud of our accomplishments together but the road ahead is long, especially for Floridians, where many of our state politicians openly support and align themselves with divisive, xenophobic, and Islamophobic agendas.

Making an informed decision on Election Day starts with having the information you need, especially concerning the voting records of state legislators seeking reelection. We hope you will value and take advantage of your right to vote and visit www.Muslims.Vote to explore the resources we have made available for you.

You can register to vote, update your voter registration, and view CAIR-Florida's state legislature scorecards at www.Muslims.Vote.

Make sure to continue visiting www.Muslims.Vote between now and November to see updated resources, including completed candidate questionnaires.